Dulux is calling their colour trends report “Antidote,” suggesting that the modern world is too much with us sometimes and we are beginning to feel a need to create serene spaces where we can recover from the stimulation we’re surrounded with throughout or days — and sometimes our nights as well.

Pantone, global colour experts working with designers around the world, had a similar thought when they chose Greenery, a bright spring green, for the 2016 Colour of the Year. Greenery evokes lush jungles and grand gardens. Pantone describes it as “nature’s neutral,” a refreshing and life-affirming shade.

Pantone is showing Greenery in many different palettes, combined with a variety of colors:

Here Greenery looks fresh and smart with a dusty rose and dark grey.

Here, a soft look grows from pale near-neutral pastels.

A mix of neutrals with Greenery looks chic and modern.

With a couple of purples, Greenery looks romantic.

A versatile colour like this one can be a surprising central point for a home or a building.

Green also gives a sense of a fresh start, a new beginning. If that sounds good to you, call Coutrney & Wise to get your next painting job — Greenry or otherwise — on the calendar.

Sweet pastels and sophisticated neutrals are turning up in lots of trendy decorating this season — but that doesn’t mean that you have to live with them if you prefer bright colours.. Dulux Chroma is a palette planned for visual excitement.

Dulux Chroma row by row

Lexicon Quarter is a true white, not beige or biscuit or palest grey. Eskimo White moves into the grey. Carnelian is a sage green that looks just as good in a retro colour scheme as in a sophisticated pairing with any of its row-mates. Hay Wain is a mustard yellow, a shade we’ve been seeing on the runways.

Coral Blossom and Baby Melon remind us of the runways, too, providing a complement to the equally trendy Blue Satin and Summer Air. This row probably includes favorite shades from your wardrobe. The shades from this row, used together, create a high energy complementary colour scheme that makes us think of sand and sea.

Sea Sight is another gorgeous blue, making a striking contrast with Red Capital, a smoldering carnelian red. Deep Arctic is a deep blue greem and Maximus is a deep charcoal grey. These shades together have the lively high contrast of a complementary colour scheme. Bold colours like these can also be very effective as a single colour with he contrast of white.

Chroma decorating options

These colours are intended to be used in bold blocks, but there are other options. Carnelian, Lexico Quarter, and Coral Blossom combine to make a traditional pretty colour scheme. It can look feminine or more neutral, but it will certainly give a fresh spring feeling. Baby Melon and Eskimo White are a youthful duo with an edge.

Dulux Sentience is a palette designed to stimulate our senses and our brains. While the colours are natural, pretty, and in their way soothing, the special finishes wake up our eyes after they’ve spent the day focusing on screens. The colours are shades we see in living things, both plants and people, so our homes can be an antidote to the machines and artifacts we spend our days with.

Dulux Sentience row by row

Pupu Springs is a beautiful mild biscuit color, ideal for walls that create a versatile background. Humnble Fawn is a bit more assertive. Stone Effects European Stone produces a textured effect that refreshes the eyes and stimulates the brain. Pragmatic and Suede Effects Creamy Mushroom bring in a darker rosy touch. Vintage Beige can go grey or biscuit. This row is a collection of neutrals that work together or alone to create rich but restful backgrounds.

The second row could seem neutral, but it can also be read as pastels. Parchment Paper can look pink. Wasabi is a fresh green. Pinkham can feel pink or peach. Land Light is a pretty peach, too. Think of using all four of these sweet colours to decorate a spring-fresh room, or choose one to serve as a modest backdrop to your wood and metal furnishings.

In the third row, Beige Mystery is another grey/beige mixture, perfect for a workspace or to give a cool background to a room. Self Destruct and Tavern move more toward brown, with a good deal of warmth. The two Suede Effect paints, Eco Chic and Macchiato Malt, will give a sophisticated look to a room. Finally, Centre Dusk is a deep shade that can take on grey or brown looks.

Ideas for rooms with Dulux Sentience

Think of painting a young girl’s room with Wasabi and Pinkham for a fresh, sweet combination. Vintage Beige amd Parchment Paper make an equally charming combination for a bedroom. Land Light and Beige Mystery pair up for a refreshing look in a bath or wardrobe, for men or women.

Pragmatic or Tavern will be ideal for a dining room, while Wasabi and Macchiato Malt can create an exciting kitchen.

There are plenty of beautiful neutrals, both light and dark, in Sentience, but all of them have an air of fresh, natural gentleness. Warm greys and earth tones can create a welcoming workspace or living space. Pale green, pink, and peach bring the outdoors in for combinations that can be very young and feminine.

Depending on how you combine them and what additional colours you add with soft furnishings, Dulux Sentience can present your room as a collection of pastels or as sophisticated earth tones.

Sometimes we want to be surrounded by bright, sunny colours. Sometimes we want the restfulness of neutrals. That doesn’t mean that we want 100% biscuit all around us, even in a workspace or public space, let alone in our homes.

Construct includes the calm serenity of blues and greys, plus the metallics that have been growing in popularity over the past few years.

Dulux Construct, row by row

The palette begins with Winter Terrace, a grey so pale that it can sub for white. Metallic Effect Pewter Illusion is a medium brown with far more presence than a lick of brown paint could ever provide. Tirau Double is a lovely light grey. Reckless grey takes the hue a shade darker, while Concrete Effect Pale Elements brings an urban edge to the look.

In the second row, Grey Master continues the path through basic greys, adding a dark grey. At this point, there are enough shades of grey to create a very dramatic monochromatic room. Metal Shimmer Effects Infinite Dusk returns to the brown or taupe family, again with special effects. Panda Pod is a medium grey with a hint of blue-green, and Five Finger Peninsula steps it up. Either of these shades can read as a neutral, but we’re seeing the palette blossom into colour.

In the third row, Hauraki Gulf is a frankly blue-green shade, and Ahoy is a deep, beautiful blue. Copper Effect brings up the metallic look again, but this time in a warm shade that complements Ahoy. Metal Shimmer Effect Outer Limits brings in the darkest brown.

Imagine the effects.

Copper is a complement to Hauraki Gulf and Ahoy, and the grouping of the three will make a living space that is both warm and serene. Copper with Winter Terrace will create a clean kitchen, especially with copper finishes in appliances and furnishings.

Think about Fiver Finger Peninsula for a romantic bedroom. Or mix multiple subtle grey shades with surprising metallics for a workspace that makes it easy to concentrate without putting people to sleep.

Contact Courtney & Wise if you’re in Sydney or the Northern Beaches. We’re ready to help you find the perfect shade for your home or commercial building.

Entwine, one of the new Dulux palettes for 2017, is a collection of natural yet rich colours founded on the idea of diversity. Dulux Entwine provides a fresh, satisfying range of colours.

Dulux Entwine, row by row

Reading left to right in the top row we find Angel’s Face, Manila, and Buttercookie, three distinct shades of biscuit, Australia’s favorite colour for interiors. The three work together beautifully, or any one can set the scene for the whole house. Choosing a beautiful base neutral can be the most difficult part of colour selection.

In the second row we have warm reddish shades. Gold Pheasant continues the rose gold trend that has been popular for several years now, along with Suede Effect Terrazo Red. The subtle contrast of the two shade in the center left spot can make a luscious effect in the bedroom. Temptress, right in the center of the palette above, is a deep spicy orange that can pair with Buttercookie to create a lively kitchen. Finally, Carmen Miranda is a deep brick shade. Think of this colour in a study or great room with Angel Face for contrast.

The lowest row includes Forest Fruit Pink, a mauve-influenced brown that could mix with Gold Pheasant for a romantic bit unusual bedroom. Next is Army Fatigues, a green that could serve as a neutral. Nomad, a medium brown, finishes out the set of earth tones. Think of the bottom row in a living room together, or consider Nomad, Army Fatigues, and Angel Face in a masculine bedroom. Forest Fruit Pink and Manila could add a spark to a traditional dining room, too.

Fresh, but suited to vintage style

Many combinations of the colours in Dulux Entwine are reminiscent of Arts and Crafts style, making this palette a good option for heritage homes… or for people who like the look of heritage homes. At Courtney & Wise, we specialize in authentic heritage home painting. Entwine is an earthy collection that could give a whole house a relaxed feeling and a sense of welcoming warmth. Call Courtney & Wise to see how these shades could work in your home.